Last year, Realmac launchedClear+, a universal, iOS 7-compatible version of its task manager that was meant to replace the original iPhone-only version. The original version of Clear was discontinued, but consumer backlash over having to pay again for a new copy of the task manager prompted Realmac to continue updating the iPhone app. After months of maintaining two versions of the app, Realmac has reversed course yet again and is now returning to its original version of Clear, which has been updated with iPad support.

We’re going to be returning to just one, universal version of Clear for iOS, with the original version of Clear gaining iPad support. If you already own a copy of Clear, you don’t need to do anything as we’ve just launched an updated version of Clear with iPad support.

To appease customers who purchased Clear+, Realmac is offering the universal version of Clear for free so users can migrate to the only supported version of the app. This promotion will be offered twice and will be available for 24 hours at a time. Users can sign up to be alerted via email when the app is made free.

Clear is a universal app that is available from the iOS App Store for $4.99. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

All of this mess because Apple still hasn't supported giving developers the option for paid upgrades, or discounted upgrades for current owners. Thats how the software world worked for ages. Brand new substantial upgrades to applications would be charged for, and developers would give discounts to current customers looking to upgrade.

Customers have now just come to expect (and demand) that purchasing an app once for $0.99 is basically like getting a lifetime subscription to new applications from the developer. Thats wrong, and I wish Apple could do something to steer users away from creating this sense of entitlement and cheapness. For crying out loud, amazing software now costs less than a damn soda....its crazy the kind of value we get today in the App Store.

If a developer spends all this time creating essentially a brand new application, they deserve to charge for it, just like they did for the original version. The way it works now, where devs have to essentially create a new app listing in the store for substantial new updates, is confusing for users and creates this sense of resentment like the developer is trying to "cheat" you. Yea, would you like to get paid for just one month at your job, and then continue to have to work there without getting paid?

RealMac did handle their "upgrade" to Clear+ very poorly, but it's just sad that iOS users are so adverse to paying for upgrades (or anything for that matter).

It's not "iOS" users, it's people. They don't want to pay for something they already paid for. Until it's a dramatically new app, people don't want to pay again for the same functionality. Also, android users spend more than 80% less money than iOS users do.

I agree with your point, but bizarrely I would want Apple to make a much lower price point for apps, like 3 cents, rather than the $1 minimum.

Sure. Lets continue to devalue our creations to a point where you can't even pay the fees for the payment processing.

So, if I can sell a million downloads at 3 cents, that is $21,000 which is at least 6 weeks development time and easily enough time to make an interesting game.

And if your app costs 2 Dollars you only need 15,000 downloads to make the same amount of money. That's much more likely than selling one Million copies of your 3 cent app. There is a good chance that your app won't even get 1 million downloads if it's free.
The times were any ****** app gets massive of downloads are over. Don't look at Flappy Bird too much, that's the one in a million that disproves the rule. You won't create the next flappy bird.

I think this would be a really interesting price option, but I am assuming most people will think, "hey 3 cents, that's gotta be worth trying out", perhaps even that price will be too high?

Yes, this price will still be too high for the majority of the people who won't buy your app for 1 Dollar. It's not about the actual price, it's about paying or not paying and the value of your app.

The point being is that the potential user base for Apps is now so much bigger than anything we've seen before, and its only going to get bigger yet.

Even if every single person in the world has an iPhone you will never be able to make a living with an app that costs 3 cents.

Imagine if 0.01% of your customers have a question about the app and they start to email you. Who do you want to be? The guy who sold 1 million copies or the one who sold 15,000 copies for the same revenue?

It's not "iOS" users, it's people. They don't want to pay for something they already paid for. Until it's a dramatically new app, people don't want to pay again for the same functionality. Also, android users spend more than 80% less money than iOS users do.

I think the takeaway here is that Realmac actually listened to their customers and changed course.

Things could be worse. They could be a company that says "we have the right to visit you at your home or place of business unannounced, and we also reserve the right to call you on the phone but our company name [I]won't come up on your CallerID."[/I]

I don't mind paying for software upgrades. I do it with iBank and 1Password.

The things I care about when paying again are:

1) Make the upgrades worth it. I want some major functionality changes/improvements. I want to know I'm getting more value of the software for the price. Since the AppStore doesn't provide 'upgrade' pricing, I'm forced to pay full price again. So the value has to be big to me!

2) Support I contacted iBank and AgileBits quite a bit for help getting the sync stuff. They responded very quick. Within hours, if not by the next day. That's expected!

3) Time to upgrade - Don't make quick release cycles. I'm not going to pay $4.99 or $9.99 or $14.99 for your app every 3-4 months or even 7-9 months. Combine the extra functionality into a yearly upgrade.

4) Offer smaller revisions for free. That 1.1 update should include bug fixes, maybe speed improvements. Heck, through in an extra cool feature like Dropbox support if it doesn't already have it. Or twitter integration. It makes customers happy knowing something was added for free.

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